Deep-well pump



Patented Aug. 24, 1926.

UNITED STATES LEWIS I. KELLOGG, ARTHUR G. GAGE,

PATENT OFFICE.

AND CHARLES H. MOWILLIAMS, 0! LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

DEEr-wELL PUMP.

Application filed Hbvember 15, 1824. Serial No. 750,162.

barrel and also prevent cutting ofthe surface of the plunger and the wallof the working barrel by preventing a bypass of the thin oil between plunger and barrel wall and to provide means for breaking up gas pockets which form under the plunger.

With reference to the drawings: Fig. 1 is a general view of the present invention installed in a well casing.

Fig. 2 is a vertically sectioned elevation of a workin barrel or cylinder showing a plunger in all and at the bottom of its stroke.

Fig. 3 is a view of a. plunger and cylinder like that shown in Fig. 2 and having some modifications and with the plunger at the top of its stroke.

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of a fitting adapted to be mounted on the invention for controlling an escapem'ent of oil.

Fig. 5 is an elevation of a plunger showing certain modifications over the plungers,

shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

Fig. 6 shows a fragment of a plunger having a zig-zag oil recess cut into its perpihery adapted to take the lace of the'spiral oil recess shown in the p ungers shown in Figs. 2,3and5. More specificall the resent invention comprises a cylin er 1 apted to be connected to the bottom end of a sprin of tubh1g2 which may be hung in a wel casing 3. The cylinder 1 is rovided with a foot valve 4 and carries a p unger 5. The plunger 5 carries a traveling valve 6 and is formed with a recess 7 somewhat longer than the stroke of the pump. In Figs. 1

and 2 the plun er is operated by a solid rod 8 whilein ig. 3 it is v oieratedbx a tubular rod 9. In Figs. 1 an 2 a con uit.

. 10 is shown extending from the surface of the-ground and connecting with the cylinder within the travel of the recess 7. In Fig.

3 a conduit 11 is connected with the cylinder 1 above the travel of the plunger and again with the cylinder within the travel of the recess 7. The conduit 11 is rovided with an extension 12, terminatin elow an inlet 13 at the bottom of the cyIinder, and carrying the member 14 shown in Fig. 4 at its topend. In Fig. 2 the plunger 5 discharges through ports 15 into the tubing 2 and in Fig. 3 the plunger discharges into the tubular rod 9. In Figs. 2 and 3 the plungers carry a top piston 16 and a bottom piston 17 which is provided with a groove or thread 20 extending from the top edge to the bottom edge thereof.

Fig. 5 shows the plunger developed to its best form for accomplishing the present objects. The plunger is provided with an intermediate recess 22, a top piston 23 above which is anarrow groove 24 and an end piston section 25, and at the bottom a pis-. ton 26 below which is a groove 27 and an end section 28. The piston 23 carries aspiral thread 29 and the piston 26 a thread 30.

It is here explained that in some oil wells a large amount of sand flows in with the oil and which works in between the plunger and c linder wall, the sand not only wearing t e surfaces but causing the plunger to stick. In other Wells the oil is very high in gravity and the temperature of the formation in some localities is above 150 degrees F. Such hot and extremely fluid oil is usuall pumped against heavy static heads which, together with its extreme fluidity causes a slippage of the fluid back through the clearance between the plunger and c 'linder wall cutting away the metal. In 0t er wells heavy volumes of gas are present and form a pocket between the foot. valve and the traveling valve, thus preventing oil' of the well from entering the cylinder which action results in loss of capacity and after repeated compressions of the gas pocket causes an overheatin of the plun er followed by loss of lubrication and sticking of the plunger due to ex ansion, and some wells may have any com ination of the above conditions.

The'operation of a conventional dee well what less than the length of the recess 7 in Figs. 2 and 3 or 22 in Fig. 5.

In the operation of the present invention, with regard to the means for preventing wear due to abrasion by sand, should the plunger be operated by a line of solid rods as shown in Fig 2, cleaned oil is forced down the conduit 10 .into the recess 7 having a pressure greater than the static head in the tubing 2. The piston 16 has a loose fit in the cylinder and some of the oil from the recess 7 passes upwardly around it preventing the sand from getting between it and the cylinder wall. A lesser volume of oil from the recess 7- passes down around thepiston 17 washing the sand away on the down stroke of the plunger Should the tubular rod 9, shpwn in Fig. 3, be used then the cleaned oil is passed down the tubing 2 from which it may pass by the conduit 11 into the recess 7. However with the use of the tubing 2' as a circulating conduit and pumping through the tubular rod 9 the piston 16 becomes unimportant except perhaps as a guide and the conduit 11 might be discarded allowing the clean oil to bypass the piston 16 into the recess 7.

With regard to the adaptability of the present invention for wells having extremely hot and fluid oil and pumped fro great depth; the slippage of the oil back through the clearance space between plunger and cylinder wall is successfully frustrated by passing a very small volume of heavy or low gravity oil into the recess 7. Thus with a proper fit to the pistons above and below the recess the more viscous oil in the recess develops a heavy film in the clearance between plunger and cylinder wall that cannot easily be broken down by the lighter body oil being pumped.

With regard to the means for breaking up gas pockets between the foot valve and the traveling valve, referring to Figs. 2 or 3, the

can oil in the recess -7 being of a suflicientl y high pressure a small but fixed volume flows through the thread 20' into the space between the Valves filling up the clearance space not filled by the plunger when down. Thus in not allowing space in which the gas may be compressed it is forced up through the valve 6.

With reference to the plunger shown in Fig. 5; it is intended that the pistons 23, and 26 shall have a close fit within the cylinder possibly .002 and the end sections 25 and 28 shall have a looser fit of say .006.

. With such an arrangement of diameters the clean oil passing by the threads 29 and 30 will enter the grooves 24 and 27 respectively and from the grooves develop a fairly even flow through all the clearance around the end sections.

With regard to the spiral groove or thread 29 and 30 in Fig. 5, 20 in Figs. 2 and 3 and 21 in Fig. 4, it is here explained that .if a straight hole were provided to pass a small Volume of oil under pressure ranging over 1000 pounds the hole would have to be very small and could be easily stopped up, also the velocity of the oil would be great and. such a hole drilled in the best material would soon cut out and become over-size. To overcome such difliculties a thread is wound around and around the members mentioned and the oil in turning around in such a long passage is greatly retarded. Therefore the passageway can be out much larger in cross section and would not so easily become clogged with solid particles or be worn oversize.

lln carrying out the several uses to which the present invention may be put as above stated and with reference to Fig. 5,should a sandy well be pumped with a solid sucker rod the plunger would be used as illustrated, the cleaned oil passed upwardly and downwardly from the channel 22. Should the sandy well be pumped through a tubular rod the cleaned oil could be passed into the recess 22 through the conduit 11 or the piston 23 could be made with the freer clearance of the end member 25 allowing the clean oil to bypass directly into the recess 22, or if the piston 26 was of sutficient length the sections 23 and 25 might be disposed of altogether.

Should a well be pumped in which gas pockets form the sections 23 and 25 and 28 are of little importance, the main object being to pass a small but fixed volume of gas free oil into the clearance space between the valves through the thread 30.

In fact under such a condition the plunger might be formed into a plain cylinder similar to the plug 14 shown in Fig. 4 and having a spiral recess out upon its periphery from end to end.

Should a well be pumped carrying a light gravity oil of-high temperature and from great depth the plunger to operate successfully need not have the end members 25 and .28 nor the threads 29 and 30, the heavy oil for lubrication entered into the recess 22 merely being required to develop a film betweian the sections 23 and 26 and thecylinder wal In pumping sandy wells the solids often come into the well in considerable volume and clog a pump. To meet such a condition a conduit 12 is connected into the conduit 11 of Fig. 3 or 10 of Fig. 2 and carried down to the suction inlet 13 and through which a fixed volume of oil is allowed to pass, thus diluting the well oil carrying the solids and preventing the pump from being clogged for more than a few strokes at a time. The means for controlling the passage of diluting oil through the conduit 12 consists of the plug 14 carrying the spiral groove 21 and having a tight fit within the conduit 12.

It is to be understood that the length of the pistons and intermediate channeled sec-.

.cut around the lower piston connecting with the recessed section and extending to the lower edge of the piston, and means for supplying the recessed section with cleaned oil under pressure. 2. In combination in a deep well pump, a cylinder having a foot valve, a plunger for the cylinder having a traveling valve and means for preventing the formation of gas pockets between the traveling valve and foot valve by entering into the space between said valves small volumes of oil under higher pressure than the static pressure of the well. 3. In a deep well pump in combination, a cylinder having an inlet at its lower end, a plunger for the cylinderhaving a groove cut spirally upon its periphery from top to bottom adapted to pass .a fixed volume of oil from above the plunger to below the lunger, a conduit terminating adjacent the lnlet of the cylinder, a plug mounted in the conduit having a spiral groove out upon its periphery adapted to pass a fixed volume of oil to the inlet of the cylinder for diluting the oil of the well and means for supplying the groove of the plunger and the groove of the plug with oil from which sand and the like has been removed.

4. In a deep Well pump in combination, a cylinder, having an, inlet, a plunger for the cylinder, a conduit termmating adjacent the inlet of the cylinder and adapted to conduct oil to the inlet for diluting the oil of the well, a plug mounted in the conduit having a thread cut around its periphery through which the diluting oil is forced to pass and adapted to control the flow of the diluent.

5. In a deep well pump, a resistance means for. stepping down a volume of fluid from a high pressure into a lower pressure comprising a casing, a close fitting plug mounted in the casing and a thread cut around the" plug from end to end adapted to carry and to properly retard the volume of fluid.

6. In a deep well pump, in combination, a cylinder, a plunger for the cylinder, 3. thread cut spirally about the periphery of the plunger from top to bottom and means for admitting cleaned oil to one end of the spiral thread whereby a fixed volume will be passed therethrough.

7. A plunger for a deep well pump comprising a couplet of pistons spaced apart by an intermediate section of lesser diameter, annular recesses formed outwardly from each piston, a spiral groove cut around each pis- .ton connecting with the intermediate section at their inner end and with the annular recesses at their outer end, and cylindrical end sections of lesser diameter than the pistons extending beyond the annular recesses.

8; A plunger for a deep well pump comprising a couplet of pistons spaced apart by an intermediate section of lesser diameter and end sections having a lesser diameter than the pistons and spaced from them by annular recesses.

9. A plunger comprising a piston, an end section of lesser diameter than the piston,

an annular recess formed between the piston and the end section and a spiral groove cut around the piston from its outer or free edge to the edge forming a side of the annular recess.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this s ecification.

LEWIb' M. KELLOGG.

ARTHUR G. GAGE.

CHARLES H. MOWILLIAMS. 

